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LONDON - The English FA Cup soccer tournament served up two classic third round replays on today when the Premier League twice overcame the second division, Middlesbrough holding off Hull City 4-3 and Manchester City beating Sheffield Wednesday 2-1.
In a remarkable game at the Riverside Stadium 18-year-old
debutant Seb Hines' 32nd minute goal for Boro was a rare moment of excitement in the first half.
It all changed after the interval when Boro stretched their lead to 3-0 and 4-1 but then spent the last 20 minutes desperately clinging on.
Mark Viduka got Boro's second after Aiyegbeni Yakubu's shot came back off a post and when Yakubu added the third with a 57th minute penalty it looked all over.
However, Hull pulled one back with a glancing header by defender Andy Dawson two minutes later and then made it 3-2 with a Jon Parkin penalty in the 63rd minute.
Viduka scored Boro's fourth with a clinical finish a minute later but Hull refused to lie down and Dawson, whose last goal before Tuesday came almost three years ago, got his second to bring it back to 4-3.
From then on it was all Hull, with Boro defending desperately and just about holding out against a team fourth-last in the second division.
It was end-to-end action from the start at the City of Manchester Stadium with both goalkeepers kept constantly busy.
It somehow stayed goalless until the 44th minute when City midfielder Joey Barton, who spent the day embroiled in transfer speculation, squared for Stephen Ireland to touch into an empty net.
Lee Bullen headed Wednesday level in the 51st minute but City reclaimed the lead four minutes later when Darius Vassell cracked a shot into the top corner.
There were chances galore at both ends but City held out to earn a fourth-round meeting with Southampton, when Barton says he will still be around despite interest from Everton.
"I'm happy here, I've always said that, and I'm enjoying my football," he told Sky Sports.
Second division Coventry City's woes continued as they went down 2-0 at home to third division Bristol City, who now host Middlesbrough.
Wolverhampton Wanderers won 2-0 at Oldham to set up a first FA Cup derby with West Bromwich Albion since 1962.
In other replays, Ipswich Town beat Chester 1-0, Southend won 2-0 at Barnsley and Plymouth beat Peterborough 2-1. Luton's game against Queens Park Rangers was postponed due to a waterlogged pitch.
There are three more replays on Wednesday, all Premier League against second division. Newcastle United host Birmingham City, Tottenham Hotspur face Cardiff City and Fulham take on Leicester.
The fourth round takes place over the weekend of January 27-28.
- REUTERS
